Silo.



PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905.

0. N. CROSBY.

SILO.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 13.1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

IIFHHE HIH Ill No. 792,999. v PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905. 0. N. CROSBY.

SILO.

APPLIOATION FILED APR.13.1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 No. 792,969. PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905.

O, N. CROSBY.

SILO.

APPLICATION FILED APR.13.1904.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

ttomq.

UNITED STATES Patented June 20, 1905.

CHARLES N. CROSBY, OF JEFFERSON, OHIO.

SILO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,969, dated June 20, 1905.

Application filed April 13, 1904. Serial No. 202,991.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, OHARLEs N. ORosBY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jefl'erson, in the county of Ashtabula and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Silos, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to silos; and the objects sought to be attained are to provide a strong and durable structure which can be readily packed in a small space for shipment, which may be erected at slight cost and with little labor, and which will provide a rigid and stable structure when the parts have been assembled.

In the construction of silos the most important considerations are stability, durability, simplicity in erection, and facility in discharging the contents of the silo. Added to these features it is necessary that the structure shall be practically air and water tight and be of sufficient strength to Withstand the tremendous outward pressure upon the Walls or staves.

In the production of my silo the objects and features above referred to have received careful consideration, and as a result of a series of experiments all objectionable features have been overcome and omitted and a good strong structure has been provided.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a silo made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the steel door-section detached from the silo. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of said doorsection. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the same. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the steel Z-beams which form the door-section. Fig. 6 is a front view of one of the doors. Fig. 7 is a central sectional view of the same. Fig. 8 is a sectional view illustrating the manner of joining the staves.

Like numerals of reference designate like parts wherever they occur in the different views of the drawings.

The wooden staves 1, which form the body portion of the silo, are transversely curved to the exact degree necessary to form a structure of a predetermined diameter, and one edge is provided with a tongue 2, having a rounded edge 3, while the opposite edge is provided with a groove 4, having a curved bottom Wall 5, to make a tight joint between the staves. These staves are usually numbered serially in order that when assembled the staves fit nicely and form close joints.

The door-section is formed of malleable sheet-steel plates, the standards 6 being approximately Z shape in cross-section and designed to extend from top to bottom of the silo, being of equal length with the staves 1. Theflange 7 extends outward, and the adjacent stave is secured to said flange by aseries of bolts 8, passing through the flange and stave. The inwardly-extending flange 9 of the standard forms the side portion of the doorframe, and the intermediate rib 10 connects the two flanges 7 and 9 and corresponds substantially to the thickness of the staves, the staves which abut against said rib having smooth edges beveled to lit closely against the rib. The two standards 6 are connected together at suitable intervals to form the dooropenings by steel cross-pieces 11. These crosspieces are T shape in cross-section curved to the same degree as the silo, and the crossflange 12 is secured to the flanges 9 of the standards 6 by the bolts 13, one upon each side of the central flange 14, said flange 14 being rabbeted at its opposite ends to fit over the under side of the inwardly-extending flanges 9 and tight against the intermediaterib 10 of the standards. It will thus be seen that by constructing the flanges 14 in the manner set forth the standards are more securely braced than would otherwise be the case. When these cross-pieces are secured in place, the door-openings are of uniform size, and the flanges 7, 9, 12, and 14 form a door-frame of such area that the door can be firmly and closely fitted therein.

To hold the staves and door-frame rigidly in place to form a truly circular structure, a number of strong metal hoops 15 extend around the silo after it has been assembled. These hoops are located at points centrally between the doors and are held in place on the staves by staples 16, driven partially into said staves until the hoops are drawn tightly to bind the staves together, when said staples are driven home and the hoops securely held in place by the lugs 17, and the nuts 18, fitting the threaded ends of the hoops, as will be readily understood upon reference to the drawlngs.

The doors are made of separate staves 19, fitted together similarly to the staves 1' by tongues and grooves, and a metal bar 20, bolted to each stave and extending centrally across the door, holds the staves in place to form the door. The transverse curvature of the door corresponds to the curvature of the door-frame and to the silo, thus insuring a close fit. The door is held in place and drawn tightly into the casing by a centrally-pivoted button 21, which swings upon a bolt 22, passing centrally through the bar 20 and through the door. gage the cross-pieces 11 when in a vertical position, and thus hold the door firmly in place. To render the joint between the doors and casings air-tight, the door may have a strip of felt 23 secured to its edges and extending entirely around the door. It will be understood that the doors are interchangeable and that any door will fit any door-opening.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that my silo is of simple construction, that it is comparatively easy to erect or assemble, that it is exceedingly strong and durable, and that it can be manufactured at a slight cost.

Having thus described my invention, What I desire to secure by Letters Patent and claim 1; A silo having a door-section comprising two metal standards having oppositely-extendingflanges and an intermediate rib, metal cross-pieces comprising cross-flanges secured to the oppositely-extending flanges and having central flanges rabbeted at their ends to The button 21 is of a lengthto en-- fit over said oppositely-extending flanges and against the intermediate ribs thereofat intervals to form door-casings, and doors fitted to the casing.

2. A silo having a door-section comprising two metal standards having oppositely-extending flanges and an intermediate rib, metal cross-pieces comprising cross-flanges secured to the oppositely-extending flanges and having central flanges rabbeted at their ends to fit over said oppositely-extending flanges and against the intermediate ribs thereof at intervals to form door-casings, and doors formed of staves connected by a bar and bound with felt, said doors being fitted behind the front flanges of the standards and having buttons pivoted thereto-and provided with end portions arranged to swing to'pos-itions in front of the cross-pieces.

3. In a silo, the combination of standards having'inwardly-directed flanges, cross-pieces comprising cross-flanges secured to the said flanges of the standards and having central flanges rabbeted at theirends tofit over said flanges of the standards and against the standards at intervals to formdoor-casings, and

doors fitted to the casings.

4. In asilo, a door-section made-up: of- Z- shaped metal uprights and T-shapedmetal cross-pieces; the cross-flange of the T-shaped pieces being bolted to one of the flanges of the Z-shaped uprights, the central flange of said T-shaped pieces being rabbeted at its ends toengage the Z-shaped metal uprights. In'testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES N. CROSBY. Witnesses:

CHAS. O. BABCOCK, MAUDE HJAYES. 

